Chapter Ten

Mike the driver kept the vehicle at a conspicuously slow pace, but he heard all the same. The ten minute drive was agony, but then rolling Fuck came into view and all thought of pain faded from Mannie's mind. The main structure of the city had once been a colossal Bagger two eighty eight strip mining machine. It looked like a sideways skyscraper sized spider made of scaffolding and cranes. At the center of the vehicle was a four story building

on a massive set of treads. Four spindley towers rose up out of that main structure and in a giant half circle in the air around it. A gantryway the length of a football field connected the spindles to a mighty steel arm at the end of the structure. It had once housed an enormous wheel bucket mining apparatus, but that had been replaced by a queer cube structure. It sat high in the air and gleamed in a shade of black that made Manny's stomach hurt. The overwhelming motif

of Rolling Fuck was after market. The spindle towers had originally looked like scaffolding and mainly existed to offset the weight of that Titanic arm, but they'd been built on and added to with a series of tree house looking contraptions. He saw people, hundreds of them, climbing from door to door via a series of ladders, ropes, and what looked like vines. Below the main body of the city, a series of vehicles surrounded the vast rolling building that made

up the city's foundation. Many saw long haul trucks, deuce and a half army transports, and at least one old Abrams tank. Hundreds of sets of solar panels glistened under the Texas sun. God Reggie whispered ah temporarily overwhelming his pain, but didn't realize any of the road tribes with this lodge. There were easily two or three thousand people visible in the sprawling camp. Mike glanced back at Reggie a somewhat stern look on his face. This is not a tribe,

it's a city, oh, said Reggie. That's just how a lot of people back home refer to I get it, Mike interrupted, But there are actual indigenous tribes out on these roads, Comanche bands and the Panhandle roving up from New Mexico to Colorado. We've got defensive and trade agreements with a few different groups of Apache out west. The Navajo have the only stable territory south of Mormon Land

and north of Albuquerque. Mike glanced back at the road long enough to steer around a pothole and turn them in the direction of what looked to be a greater station. Then he continued, anyway, there are tribes out west, but we're a city. The fact that we don't hold any land or control any territory is important to most of the folks here. Think of it as a kind of rebellion from people born to a settler culture. Ah. Reggie nodded,

that's absolutely fascinating. I have so much I want to ask in good time, Buddy Mike said, Let's get y'all settled in first. Manny knew that every foreign correspondent he'd never met would kill to have the opportunity Reggie had just lucked into the road. People were a popular topic in world media. He supposed that wasn't surprising. They all led visually spectacular lives. Rolling Fuck was just the grandest variation on a theme. It was famous across the West

for having the highest proportion of post human citizens. Something like a third of them were chromed enough to no longer fit into the Homo sapiens category. Manny had never heard of them traveling this close to Dallas before they were banned in all of the Republic cities. People with military grade mods were uncontrollable. That and cultural PTSD from

the war made them pariahs pretty much everywhere. The main structure of the city was encircled by a ring of thirty ish large and heavily customed to r vs. A few dozen smaller vehicles, many of them bearing sundry armaments, were scattered throughout the campground. The only thing that resembled a checkpoint was a tidy, little one room trailer with a bright welcome sign above it. Mike steered them into

park in front of it. The guard who approached them was a shirtless, dreadlocked person with dusky brown skin and an automatic shotgun to pass kissed them. Then the guard greeted Manny and Reggie, Welcome to Rolling Fuck. Rules are don't start, no ship, won't be no ship cool. Manny nodded, so did the brit All right, they said, enjoy. Manny was a little shocked by how loud it was. Several of the camps appeared to have been built mainly out

of speakers. There were a handful of open air bars outside the main structure of the city, heterogeneous mixes of teaky torches, brightly colored silk shade structures, and scrap metal bar tables. Despite the early hour, quite a few people were drinking and dancing. Manny noted more p what we're doing the former than the latter. Most people were either naked or wearing a few pieces of light ornamental clothing.

Nearly everyone carried a firearm. He looked over to the journalist and noticed that Reggie was blinking rapidly and working his jaw. His arm was still dislocated, and it seemed to pain him as much as Manny was pained by his leg. Manny sense of professional pride lit up again, and he leaned forward to speak to their hosts. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, he said, but is there some way we could see a medic? We're pretty shredded back here? Yeah? Yeah, skullfucker Mike grunted topes, and I

got some meta ship in our trailer. We'll get you. Just suck it up a bit longer, and oh. He popped open the glove compartment. Inside it, Manny could see a handgun, a battered can of Miller High Life, and a large bottle of pills. Skullfucker Mike passed the bottle back Boxy printed him out myself like two weeks back. Probably shouldn't take more than two or three unless you've got a robust, fucking Narco suite in your brain. Meat.

Manny took two, Reggie took four. Mike added the little buggy through the organized chaos of the encampment and towards a large silver air stream parked about a dozen feet away from what Manny guessed was the backside of rolling fuck. He guessed that because someone had bolted a twenty foot tall license plate to that end of the city. It said honk please in glowing white letters. The Bucky slowed

to a stop and skullfucker Mike hopped out. He put out a hand as Manny and Reggie started to stand, Hold up, guys, y'all are just covered in pieces of dead people. He went up to the air stream and came out moments later with one armful of towels and a large jug of hot, soapy water. Manny and Reggie washed their hands and faces, pulled off their shirts, and scrubbed the blood from their chests. The brit looked over at Topaz when it came time to take off his pants. Um,

he said. When she made no motion to hide her face, she asked, would you mind turning around? Oh? She seemed surprised. Her face went a bit red, but not with embarrassment at their impending nudity. I didn't even think about it. Do people come from the world? She turned. Reggie and Manny scrubbed most of the blood off their aching wounded bodies. Skullfucker Mike brought them a pair of fluffy white robes, buddled them up and ushered them inside the air stream.

It was tame by comparison to the grand weird wheeled city above them. The gleaming silver vehicle had been modified with a roof top greenhouse that was filled with pot plants and some squat bush with red berries Manny had never seen before. The back had been extended, and the stainless steel replaced by an enormous bay window. As he entered, Mannie was hit by a wave of cold air and the strong smell of marijuana. Roughly half the trailer's interior was taken up by a huge popissan bed covered in

velvet blankets and dozens of furs. A circular table started right where the bed ended, and the rest of the trailer was a large glass walled combination bathroom bar. There did not appear to be a kitchen. Manny's leg had started throbbing as soon as he stood up to eggit the buggy, so he dropped into the first seat he could find, a little padded bench by the table opposite the bed. Reggie sat down on the other side of the table table. Manny noticed that he looked nervous, sweaty.

The journalist's hand shook just a little. His skin seemed pale. Topaz came in after them, followed by skullfucker Mike. She hopped over the table with a grace of a deer jumping a fence, and in one smooth motion, spun round and settled into a cross legged sit on the plush mattress. Schoolfucker Mike walked up to the bar and pulled down a large white bottle with the words Rufies written across

it in black marker. He took two pint glasses, filled them three quarters up with the white liquid, and then added a splash of cranberry juice to each glass. Scully Topaz sounded reproachful. Mike stiffened, then dropped his shoulders in contrition. He turned towards them, Sorry, guys, my manners are burnt out. Would either of you like a G teeny? Neither of them answered for a long second. It was Reggie who

finally responded, gee teeny. Mike laughed, Yeah, that's what Topes and I call G HB and cranberry juice really hits the spot after shooting something, I can make you, guys, some human sized portions. No thanks, Manny and Reggie said at the exact same time. The big man handed one glass to Topaz and belted down the other himself. The woman took two gulps to finish hers. She handed her cup to Mike and he walked back to the bar

to fill both glasses again. Reggie looked shocked. I'm fairly certain you just ingested enough GHB to kill two normal humans. Tope has shrugged. Let's say what we've had so far as only or so of a fatal dose for some one your size and metabolism and mods Scully is better at drugging people, though, skullfucker. Mike finished pouring two more g tenys and nodded, She's about right. The brit drinks more, though I'd say he could take a heavier dose than

what what was your name again, Manny? Manny gasped out, and would it be too much to ask for like some medical care? We are both in tremendous pain. Topaz and skullfucker Mike looked ashamed. Geez, Topaz side fucking hell, guys, We're so sorry, added Mike. Then he grabbed a long knife from his belt and gouged it deep into his wrist. Reggie damn near jumped out of his chair. Manny kept still. The pills had started to help, but he was in

too much pain to react to anything with Gusto. It's all right, Topez assured them, and the kind of voice Manny remembered his mom using on their cat when it was sick. I know it looks weird, but he's helping, helping, Reggie gasped as Skullfucker Mike positioned his open wound over a shot glass, jammed the knife and slightly to the left, and let a thick strand of his syrupy red blood fill the glass. He filled a second one in the

same manner. Then he pulled the knife free, set it on the bar counter, and handed the shots to Manny and Reggie. By the time he reached them, many noticed that the big man's wounded arm had already scabbed over. Don't worry, skullfucker, Mike smiled. My blood's pretty sterile, and it's full of good robots. They'll take care of you. Manny took the shot right away. He knew it was working when he felt pain from the wounds in his

back again. That meant Mike's blood had fixed whatever god awful thing had happened to his knee well enough that it barely throbbed. Mertus Santa, the curse slipped out. Man. He felt better, great, in fact, but kind of queasy. At the same time, he felt somehow in motion, almost as if his whole body were shifting and burbling, like the contents of his gut. The fixer glanced at his journalist and nodded to the empty shot. It's a it's good.

Reggie looked terrified. His knuckles were white. The journalist gripped the edges of the table like he was holding on for dear life. I am fine, he gritted out, A damn it, Scully. Topaz said, you've scared the poor kid with your damned wizard blood shit, said skullfucker Mike. Sorry, we were trying real hard not to trip your head.

Topaz nodded. The gesture looked a little telegraphed, as if she were out of practice with making it stock Sapiens like yourself don't always do well around folks like me and Mike. We moved too fast, or we've got too many weird extra parts. I don't know. It's probably different for every one of us, but your brains definitely read monster when you see us. Oh, Reggie croaked, You're not mom sters. You've both been very polite private hoasts ah, said Mike. It's got nothing to do with how nice

we are, aren't. It's how your brain reacts to the way we look and move. It's because we're fucking monsters, Scully, She fixed her eyes on the journalist. I don't mean that in a bad sense, but like we've taken a big damn step out of anything near to nature. Nothing is supposed to be the way we are. It's normal for humans to feel weird when they're around us for the first time. Oh well, said Reggie. Maybe don't slice your wrists open in front of company in the future,

or at least do it behind a screen. Mike nodded as if that had been a profound suggestion. Then he handed Topaz her second g teny and belted down his own. They were both visibly intoxicated now. Topas his eyes looked unfocused, and she sprawled out backwards on the bed and cuddled absent mindedly with one of the fur blankets on her bed. Mike drifted off to tapping his foot to a beat Manny couldn't hear, and drumming his fingers on the bar top to what looked like a completely different beat. The

journalist stared at his bloodshot. It looked like it had begun to clot. A thin rind had formed across the top. Reggie was an obvious pain, but he was just as obviously too squeamish to drink a stranger's blood. Manny felt a lot better, though it was weird how fast Mike's blood had worked. He found himself worrying at the scab for a gash he'd received on his forearm, only for the scab to fall away and reveal clean new skin underneath. An hour ago it had been a bleeding wound. It

really works, man, he told Reggie. Just trust me, choke it down. Reggie didn't look convinced. Think about what a story this will make for everyone back home, Manny said, you escaped to kill your drone and drink the blood of an immortal. You'll dine out on that for years. Reggie still looked pale and rather disgusted, but he put his fingers around the shot, closed his eyes, and then gulped it down. Many heard him wretch once and then twice. Tears beat it at the corners of the journalist's eye,

but then he swallowed and slumped back in his chair. Schofucker. Mike was hard at work mixing up another batch of cocktails. These ones seemed to just be normal gin and tonics, four of them. There's not anything fucking crazy about those drinks, is there, Manny asked. Mike shrugged two shots of gin, splash a tonic. Nothing you normies can't handle. Neither of us asked for a drink. Manny said, yeah. Topez yawned from her place stretched out on the bed. But he

almost died today. You should always have a drink after almost dying. Listen to Topez, said Mike, as he passed out the drinks. She's almost died more than almost anyone I know. Reggie came alive as his hands touched the drink. He gulped it down faster than either of the post humans. Manny took a couple of slight SIPs of his own. It was heinously strong before he sat the glass down and asked, polite as he could manage, So why are

we here and why were you there? That kind of luck doesn't just happen, and now we're just all gonna what hang out in your trailer getting lit? Would that really be so bad, asked Mike Scully. Topaz said, in a warning tone, He's right, and it'd be rude of us to pretend we've got altruistic motives here. She looked Manny in his eyes. It was a little unnerving because her left eye was a notably different shade of brown than her right one, and then there were her metal fangs.

Look kid, she said. We got a duty to help strangers in immediate need. It's rule number one for all the monsters here. But we were out there because we were looking for someone like you, a fixer. He felt dumb as soon as he asked to her credit, Topas just smiled. A citizen of the Republic of Texas, one who's not afraid of dangerous work, Mike added, and judging by the day you've had, I'm I guess you've a certain familiarity with danger. What about me, Reggie asked. Mike

put a hand on the journalist's shoulder. Man He guessed it was meant as a calming gesture, but the Brits still flinched at the contact. Don't worry, Guy said, Mike. We'll get you back to Austin or wherever's got an airport that'll fly at home. Your friends the only one who's help we need. What help do you need? Manny asked. The best person to take that question is up in the city. Topaz said, you guys up for a bit of a trick men. He stood halfway to test the

strength of his knee. It felt good as good as new. In fact, his back and shoulders, which had been peppered with shrapnel, just itched now. He didn't even feel particularly tired. On the other side of the table, Reggie looked to be doing well too. He worked his formerly dislocated shoulder in its socket and gave Manny the thumbs up. Apparently so, he said. Rolling Fuck had not been built by the mines or for the comfort of mortal men. That much

was obvious. The second the elevator doors closed, the narrow metal box launched up with the force of a rocket. It climbed six stories in the space of about a second. By the time it stopped and the doors slid open with a pleasant ding, Manny and Reggie were both on the edge of vomiting. A ship topes, Mike said, you forgot to drop the speed back down to normal. Topez looked genuinely distraught. Fuck me with a splintery dick, she cursed.

I'm sorry, guys. This is the nearest elevator to our trailer. It doesn't normally take humans. The city's got an elevator under each spindle, Mike explained. There's also a big lift under the main roller that's what we call the big building on treads in the middle, and another behind the rear roller. Humans tend to stick to the rollers. It gets weird up in the spindles. Weird, Reggie asked, weird skullfucker. Mike leaned down and hissed the word into the journalist's ear.

He winked at the brit in a way that somehow suggested both coitus and violence. Topaz punched Mike's shoulder and annoyance. She gestured for Manny and Reggie to follow her down the narrow metal hallway. We live life on a different scale than the rest of you, she said. We see more colors, hear more sounds. Most of us have at least a thousand times as many nerve endings, and no fear of mortality to draw the line between pleasure and pain. The kind of environments we enjoy can be intense to

unmodified humans. Right as she said humans, the group emerged from the hallway into a wide, open gantry way. There were no there was no ceiling above them now, and a huge rectangular metal frame loomed over them, connected to the other spindles of the vehicle city via thick metal tension wire. The surface of the spindles had been covered in colorful bits of metal and wood, welded and nailed into dozens of crude structures that stippled up the iron

frames like technicolor mushrooms. Everything was covered in lights and screens and buzzed with the hum of a thousand speakers. Reggie's pace slowed, the journalist's jaw was slack. He mouthed what must have been a curse, and then asked their guides, Is it okay if I record Skullfucker might grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. Of course, it's okay. If you ask nice, I might even let you film me in one of the fondel boats. What the hell is a Reggie started to ask, but then the first fondel

boat came into view. At least many assumed that's what it was. A very large lifeboat hung off the gantry as if it was the deck of a cruise ship. The interior of the boat was all soft cushions, pillows, blankets, and about two dozen writhing naked people. Some of them were surely having sex, but it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. Manny saw several tails curled around limbs or jerking spasmodically in the air. His eyes were drawn to one mechanical limb that looked like a

large metal chicken's foot. He watched it kick repeatedly into the chest of a young woman. She cried with joy at every impact. The whole mass of coiled post humanity gleamed wet in the morning light, coated with a mixture of blood and what looked like motor oil. Christ Reggie whispered. Mannie was at a loss for words. He felt a bit nauseous. He never considered himself a prude, but something about what was going on in the fondel boat just seemed wrong in the physic sense, not the moral sense.

Probably best not to watch, said Topaz. It can make humans sick er. Yeah, Reggie coughed. Is that a common sight? Mike shrugged, It's not uncommon. We try to keep stuff like that on the outside spindles away from the rollers as a courtesy. They walked on, passed the boat and threw another covered section of the gantry way, surrounded by

a half dozen little buildings that looked like shops. Many saw fruits and vegetables hanging in one, an assortment of labeled decks and other electronic googas on tables in another. It had the look of a Middle Eastern bazaar, but with no shopkeepers present. Y'all want food. Topaz stopped and gestured at the shop filled with produce. Manny held up his left hand, which had his cash ship, and planted in it. I've got Republic of Texas currency and some

Californian crypto, if you guys take either. Mike and Topaz both laughed, and then Mike grabbed an apple and tossed it Manny's way. Many caught the fruit, although it was a near thing. We don't use money, not within the city, skullfucker, Mike explained. We do sell a lot of what we grow for foreign money's but that's mostly used to book bands or buy stuff. We can make. Nothing costs anything here, not to us and not to our guests. Y'all are guests.

Topaz clarified. Manny hadn't really had time to think about his stomach in the hour since their explosion he wake up call. They'd been on the run and endanger the old time, but now that he had a moment to think, he felt a mild gnawing sensation in his gut. The journalist must have been in the same way, because he immediately set to piling fruit, bags of nuts, and a paper sack of vat grown jerky into his arms. Manny went for a bag of shelled pistachios himself, and the

two munch to Skullfucker. Mike and Topaz led them across the spindles gantry and down towards the main roller. The main roller had once held the control center and engine room for the gargantuan strip mining vehicle and its conversion to rolling fuck. Two new levels built from a half dozen sorely abused airstream trailers had been added to the top four of the spindles, met on the roller's roof,

which also hosted a lively cafe. There were around a dozen patrons drinking at the circular center bar, and perhaps a dozen lounging on cushions around low slung Moroccan style tables. Most of the customers looked human to Manny's eye. They wore an assortment of colorful, loose fitting garments, sarongs, long skirts, and caffeia's. Most of it looked handmade, although Manny was hardly an expert on such things. As they walked past the bar, Mike scooped up four pint glasses of dark

brown lagger. He kept them in one hand. As he opened a metal hatch on the rooftop, Manny could see a ladder that led down into semi darkness. Mike nodded towards the ladder. Down you go. Beer. At the bottom, Manny and Reggie descended into a luxurious conference room. It was candlelit, dim enough to seem intimate, but bright enough for human navigation. A single redwood table dominated the space. It was twelve feet in diameter and low to the ground,

like all the tables he'd seen in the cafe. Cushions and other colorful, lumpy, soft things surrounded it. One man and one woman were already seated cross legged around the table. Manny was shocked to see they were both quite old. The man was heavy set, with a lot of curly black hair piled atop his head and around his craggy lined face. Startlingly bright blue eyes stood out over the flickering candle light. He wore an old fashioned suit with a necktie and everything. It was the kind of suit

a banker might have worn fifty years ago. If the old movies man he'd watched were close to act, You're it. He looked to be in his sixties, while the woman next to him seemed considerably older. Her face was so lying and her skin so thin she almost looked fake, like some kind of animatronic creation. No one looked that old anymore. The Austin Autonomous Region wasn't wealthy, but basic

juven treatments were cheap and heavily subsidized. Even the poor could afford to combat the worst side effects of aging. Things were different in the Republic of Texas proper, but none of the poor there lived long enough to look like this woman. She wore high waisted purple yoga pants and a very tight T shirt with a faded print of a five fingered bart Simpson flipping the bird. Her hair was completely white and bound behind her in a tight ponytail. She smiled at Manny when he looked at her.

The old woman's teeth were as white as her hair. Hello there, young men, she said, in a voice that evoked the platonic ideal of a grandma. Hello, Topaz, Mike schofucker, Mike, ma'am skullfucker. Mike correct at her. As he came down the ladder. He handed Manny and Topaz each a beer and then found a cushion large and plush enough for his bulk and dropped down. Manny took his cue and found a seat. Reggie grabbed the cushion next to him. Topaz leaned against the back wall but stood as she

introduced them. This is Mannie Sanchez, he's a fixer from the Austin region. And this is Reggie Sullivan. He works for the BBC. Manny Reggie, this is Nanna Yazzie, she's our eldest. And the less old fart is Donnie Ferris. He's a guest and a brit too. Wait the Donald Ferris, Reggie asked, the guy who made visions of blood. Yes, said the old man. Did you actually watch it or have you just seen a handful of ten second clips in your media feed over the years? Both actually, Reggie

replied Donald grunted. Many had heard of Visions of Blood back in school. It was a documentary released a year before the Second American Civil War caught fire. It followed two Navajo Special Forces veterans as they organized a massive direct action campaign that started in Santa Fe but spread throughout the Southwest. His textbook had called it one of the major seeds of the Old u s as elapse. Reggie was clearly starstruck by Donald. Manny was more curious

about the old woman. No matter where he turned his head, he couldn't quite seem to escape her eyes. She had this strange way of staring at him without really staring. It made Mannie feel somehow naked and vaguely comforted all at the same time. Nana meant grandma, which made sense, but he wasn't sure what the rest of her title meant exactly. Are you in charge, then, he asked her. In response, everyone but Reggie chuckled. No one is in

charge here, said Nana Yazzi. That will become increasingly clear the longer you stay. I'm the eldest, which means exactly what it sounds like. I'm old as dirt, and I'm older than any of the other dirt around here too. She eyed Donald Ferris and continued, when I give advice or have an opinion, some people listen. This is not a state, and I am not a head of state, but sometimes I play one for the folks outside or in policy, diplomatic relations, that sort of thing, mainly because

no one else can be arst by the way. She added, Welcome to the city of Wheels or she frowned a little rolling fuck. I argued rather strenuously against that name, but I was outvoted. I like the name, said skullfucker Mike. It's fun city. Shouldn't take themselves too seriously. That's when the problems start. So why are we here, Manny asked. I mean, I'm grateful, and all we're grateful. He nodded to Reggie. But I know y'all aren't just being nice.

Mike said, you had dangerous work. Skullfucker Mike. Skullfucker Mike insisted again. Nanni Yazzi ignored him and replied to Manny, we do have a job for you, Miho. You are not required to take it, though if you say no, we'll still return you when your journalist friend to Austin, and if you do help us, you'll be compensated. So what is it you need? The old woman snapped her fingers. A projection screen hummed to life on the wall of the room that faced Manny and Reggie. It displayed three faces,

two women and one man. They all looked young, although that meant very little. One woman was white and kept her hair in a bright purple mohawk. The other was as bald as skullfucker mic, with round cheeks, green scowling eyes, and skin a little darker than Manny's. The young man was very pale. He appeared to be of Chinese descent, and his exposed skin was covered in scarified symbols from a language Mannie didn't recognize. From left to right, Marigold Fulton,

Tooley Black Elk and Rick Hartford. They're all citizens and they act as our negotiators when the city is in the southwest. Two days ago they arrived in Plaino to negotiate a trade deal with the Republic of Texas. We have quite a lot of processed coffee, and we were hoping to trade it for She trailed off a bit and her cheeks reddened. Manny thought she looked embarrassed for snacks. Snacks, Reggie asked, yes, she nodded. The Frido Le Corporation is,

or at least was still headquartered in Plaino. The junk food they produces harder to find out west. We mostly wanted Cheeto's. Topez licked her lips. For whatever reason, the imitations we print out here just don't cut it. We barred everywhere we go, Nana Yazzi continued, and since posthumans aren't welcome and most populated areas, our negotiators are all pretty close to baseline. They traveled unarmed into Plaino. The

city fell six hours after they arrived. Reggie grunted. Two days ago, people were telling me the kingdom was on its last legs. Yes, Nana Yazi said, it would appear they are not quite the paper tiger everyone expected. We're still scrambling for good data, but it's safe to say they've pilfered the majority of the Republic's heavy equipment and converted as much as half their standing army. At the same time, Plaino fell, dozens of Christian militias across Texas

launched fresh offensives. Galveston is still holding, but that could change at any moment. Houston blew their levies and flooded half the city in order to save the other half. But that also means the Kingdom can move on to Austin without worrying about their flank. They pushed the stf entirely out of Siada de Muerta, so there's nothing left between them and your home. Donald Ferris spoke up grave and gravelly. We know that the offensives started with dozens

of autonomous car bombings at checkpoints and fortifications. We don't know how they managed it. What's important now, Nana Yazzi continued, is that three of our people have been captured. Manny fought down a spike of anger. With all due respect, Nana, he said, in a deliberately neutral tone. They just conquered the city I was born in. I've probably lost a dozen friends in These god fascists are only what two

hours away from Austin ninety minutes. Donald said, they seem to be a holding position now, digesting them meal, but they'll be on the march soon. I expect the vaunted Austin defense forces will be able to hold them off for oh a good four or five days, maybe a week. Unless he glanced over to Nanni Yazzi, she nodded in agreement. Unless, asked, Manny, Unless Nana agreed, unless our militia comes to their aid.

We're not in the habit of fighting other people's battles, but we're also not in the habit of letting regressives win. I asked for a vote. Once we learned our people had been captured. Our fighters, most of them agreed to stop the Heavenly Kingdom's advance and give your people time to coordinate a proper defense. But there's a catch, ah, Manny was starting to get it. If you step in, they'll kill your people. Nani Yazzi nodded, yes, and none

of our fighters are willing to risk that. Well, I'm not sure what you want from me, Manny said, I'm a talker, not a fighter. A talker is exactly what we need, Immanuel Nani Yazzi assured him. Many winced in irritation at the use of his full name, Manny. He insisted, in the same tone, skullfucker might get used a little earlier as you say, what kind of talking do you want me to do? He asked. I'm sure you've all got better negotiators than me, perhaps, but you've got something

none of our people possess. You're a citizen of the Republic, and the Heavenly Kingdom has just issued a general amnesty for all citizens willing to repent and declare allegiance. You know how the people in this region talk. You won't arouse suspicion if you enter. So you want me to find your people and then what break them out? I can barely shoot straight. I don't think I'm the man to execute a prison break. They've got plenty of fight

a son, Donald Ferris growled. But if two peas and schofucker Mike han' keyed you in on this, the chrome don't exactly good at blending. He's right, Nana smiled sadly. We'll pair you with someone who could do the violence, but we'll need you to get them close enough to find our people in effect an escape. You'll need to help our person maintain their cover. Many felt a powerful

anger boil up inside his belly. So basically, you and your militia are holding my homeland hostage, and if I don't risk my coulo to save your negotiators, Austin dies, Miho, it's nothing as sinister as that our people want to fight. But but Donald picked up, we're all family here, and family comes before corrupt, fractious foreign militia's and equally corrupt fractures foreign cities. Old told I'd say it's a good deal for you. What was your plan before this meeting,

Nana Yazi asked. Many opened his mouth to respond, but realized he did have a clear answer. He hadn't exactly had much time to puzzle that out, and any time he'd tried, he thought about Oscar, his missing stringer, and that made him want to panic. He's dead or worse, and there's nothing you can do about it. What you can do is by a fucking plane ticket and begged the Germans to take you in as a refugee. That seemed like a good plan, or at least the best

of a bunch of shitty options. But a scornful voice rose up from the dark recesses of his semi withered conscience. What about his wife? Are you just gonna leave her broken? Widowed? You have to at least give her something. I'm flying to Germany, he said, or maybe France, wherever I can get the cheapest ticket, either in Austin or El Paso.

How much money do you have saved up, son, Donald Ferris asked, they won't issue a long term visa unless you've got at least sixty grand Californian Manny hit a little more than half that less once he paid off Oscar's wife widow. Fuck man, you sent him out there. The uncertainty and despair must have been obvious on his face. Both Donald Ferris and Nana Yazzi gave him the sort

of looks normally reserved for wounded kittens. I may be able to help, the old brit said, I do have some connections in Germany, people who might sponsor your visa if you help. The thought of a visa, the mental image of seeing one stamped in his otherwise worthless passport was intoxicating Mann. He'd never traveled outside of Texas, but

he had kept at all times an active passport. It had been the physical anchor for his wildest dreams, and now Donald Ferris was telling him he could make something as magical as a visa real Manny almost swooned. Do I have to decide now? He asked, careful to keep his tone as calm as he could manage. Of course not, Nana Yazi said, that would be terribly unfair. You should get some sleep and then a proper breakfast. There's certainly enough time for that. And you look exhausted he was.

Now that the excitement of the morning had faded, he felt gripped by a bone deep weariness that was not at all helped by the dim lighting and comfortable cushions around him. Reggie should have been even more tired but with the jet lag, but the journalist looked hurt, jittery, despite the bags under his eyes. If it's possible, Reggie said, and you have one, I could really use a high speed data connection. My deck's been spotty since the shooting started.

I've got a lot to upload to the company's servers, and I should probably check in with my editors, let them know I'm not dead, etcetera, etcetera. That won't be a problem. She stood, and her knees popped audibly with the movement. She grunted, and then continued. Topaz and Mike Schofucker Mike. We'll show you to a nice, relatively sound proof room. They'll hope you get onto our data tower. To Reggie, thank you. She looked at Manny again and

fixed him with her sad grandmother's smile. We'll give you as much time to decide as we can. We expect the kingdom to hold for a few days, but we didn't expect them to launch an attack like this. So take that with a grain of salt. I'm texting Nana, Manny said, I take everything with salt. Hey, everybody, Robert Evans here. I hope you just enjoyed the chapter you listen to. I hope you enjoyed the chapters to come.

If you would like to need the text version of this book either on the web or on your e reader as an e pub, you can find those on the website a t r book dot com. So again, the free ad free e pub and the text of every chapter will be on a t r book dot com. Thanks